Network management gateway

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides network management of a network or multiple networks, using a Web client, and including multimedia and hypermedia capability. The present invention provides a unified, remote, graphical, transparent interface for Web users, working at a Web client, to a variety of managed networks. The present invention receives requests from a Web client forwarded by a Web server and interacts with the managed networks and their associated objects to obtain information. The present invention then converts this information in real time to hypermedia document format in HTTP and HTML, and transmits this information to the Web client via the Web server, appearing to the client as information in a Web file. This permits a Web user to manage multiple networks and access multiple networks via a single Web client, thus providing a unification of the management interface for dissimilar managed networks, and devices.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of network management andinformation processing systems and methods. The present inventioninvolves software programs and hardware. The present invention is forfinding, processing, reformatting and transmitting information on theInternet and other communications networks in a variety of formats. Morespecifically, the present invention provides network management of anetwork or multiple networks, using a Web client, and includesmultimedia and hypermedia capability. One embodiment of the presentinvention is a software product for a programmed computer thatcommunicates with a Web server on the Internet and serves as a "managerof managers" for a variety of other networks and managed devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

2.1 The Net and the Web

The Internet is a global network of computers and computer networks (the"Net"). The Internet connects computers that use a variety of differentoperating systems or languages, including UNIX, DOS, Windows, Macintosh,and others. To facilitate and permit communication among these varioussystems and languages, the Internet uses a language referred to asTCP/IP ("Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol"). TCP/IPprotocol supports three basic applications on the Internet: transmittingand receiving electronic mail, logging into remote computers (the"Telnet"), and transferring files and programs from one computer toanother ("FTP" or "File Transfer Protocol").

With the increasing size and complexity of the Internet, tools have beendeveloped to help find information on the network, often callednavigators or navigation systems. Navigation systems that have beendeveloped include Archie, Gopher, and WAIS. The World Wide Web ("WWW" or"the Web") is a recent superior navigation system. The Web is anInternet-based navigation system, an information distribution andmanagement system for the Internet, and a dynamic format forcommunications on the Web. The Web seamlessly, for the user, integratesdifferent formats of information, including still images, text, audio,and video. A user on the Web using a "graphical user interface" (a"GUI," pronounced "gooey") may transparently communicate with differenthost computers on the system, and different system applications(including FTP and Telnet), and different information formats for filesand documents including, for example, text, sound and graphics.

The Web uses hypertext and hypermedia. Hypertext is a subset ofhypermedia and refers to computer-based "documents" in which readersmove from one place to another in a document, or to another document, ina non-linear manner. To do this, the Web uses a client-serverarchitecture, and the computers that maintain Web information are Webservers. The Web servers enable the user to access hypertext andhypermedia information through the Web and the user's computer. (Theuser's computer is referred to as a client computer of the Web servercomputers.) The clients send requests to the servers, which react,search and respond. The Web allows client application software torequest and receive hypermedia documents (including formatted text,audio, video and graphics) with hypertext link capabilities to otherhypermedia documents, from a Web file server.

The Web, then, can be viewed as a collection of document files residingon Web host computers that are interconnected by hyperlinks usingnetworking protocols, forming a virtual "web" that spans the Internet.

Each Web page that appears on client monitors of the Web may appear as acomplex document that integrates, for example, text, images, sounds, andanimations. Each such page may also contain hyperlinks to other Webdocuments so that a user at the client computer using a mouse may clickon icons and activate hyperlink jumps to a new page (which is agraphical representation of another document file) on the same or adifferent Web server.

A Web server is a software program on a Web host computer that answersrequests from Web clients, typically over the Internet. All Web serversuse a language or protocol to communicate with Web clients which iscalled HyperText Transfer Protocol "HTTP"). All types of data can beexchanged among Web servers and clients using this protocol, includingHyperText Markup Language ("HTML"), graphics, sound, and video. HTMLdescribes the layout, contents and hyperlinks of the documents andpages. Web clients, when browsing, convert user specified commands intoHTTP GET requests, connect to the appropriate Web server, issue thecommand to the Web server to get information, and wait for a response.The response from the server can be the requested document or an errormessage.

After the document or error message is returned, the connection betweenthe Web client and the Web server is closed. HTTP is a statelessprotocol. That is, with HTTP, there is no continuous connection betweeneach client and each server. The Web client using HTTP receives aresponse as HTML data or other data. After receipt, the Web clientformats and presents the data or activates an ancillary application suchas a sound player to present the data. To do this, the server or theclient determines the various types of data received.

A Web server can log activity information regarding Web client requestsfor information. For each such client request, a Web server can recordthe Internet address of the client, the time, and the informationrequested. Web servers can also protect certain files fromnon-authenticated users.

2.2 Gateways

Also, Web servers can forward client requests for data, that neither theWeb client nor the Web server can access directly, to applicationscalled gateways. Using gateways, a Web server can support data types andresources, and access information outside of the Internet. These datatypes and resources accessed through gateways may not have beenconceived of when the Web was created, and may not be part of theInternet.

In the process to use a gateway, the Web client collects data andformulates a request, using HTTP, and transmits the request to the Webserver with the name of the gateway program to be executed. The serverthen communicates with the gateway. The gateway reformats the request,if necessary, and transmits it to an information server to be accessedthrough the gateway. The gateway receives back a response from theinformation server and reformats that response, if necessary, as an HTMLdocument, which is delivered to the Web server. The Web server forwardsthe response to the Web client.

A gateway is a way for two software applications to communicate witheach other. A gateway allows for communications between two networksthat use different protocols, or which use the same protocols but do nototherwise communicate. For example, a gateway may, in effect, translatebetween two network protocols. For example, if one network uses TCP/IP,but a user wishes to communicate with another network that may useanother protocol such as Novell, DECnet, SNA, or any of over a dozenleading brands of network protocols, then a gateway may convert thetraffic back and forth from one set of protocols to the other, as thefirst network communicates with the second network.

Gateways tend to be specific to particular protocols used on particularnetworks, and also tend to be specific to the application in question.This is because, for example, the way to convert electronic mail in onenetwork protocol, to a second network protocol, may be quite differentfrom the way that a remote terminal session (that is, a Telnet session)on one network protocol is to be converted to the second networkprotocol. Conventional gateways, then, are usually for a specificapplication from one specific network protocol to another specificnetwork protocol. Hence, conventional gateways are specific to thehardware platform of the two networks, the communication protocols ofthe two platforms, and specific applications being run.

A conventional gateway may be embodied as a software application that isresident on a Web server host, or as a software application resident ona device separate from a Web host. In the latter case, the gateway maycommunicate with the Web host through the Internet, or directly by othermeans. Examples of conventional gateways include Gopher, and FTP.

A network manager is a software application or device that manages anetwork and which provides various management services, includingcommunication through the managed network and with the managed objectsof the network, graphic interface with the network, and other services.Examples of existing network managers include HP OpenView, SunNetManager, and IBM NetView.

Conventionally, for a Web client request that requires a gateway, theuser invokes the name of the gateway. The Web server then identifies thegateway required, accesses the gateway application through the Internetor otherwise, and transfers the necessary request information to thegateway. The gateway then executes its function in response to thespecific request. In this process, the Common Gateway Interface ("CGI")specifications are typically used.

2.3 Managing Networks

Historically, as computing and data communications requirements becamemore complex, companies began selecting individual items of hardware andsoftware that best met their needs, regardless of vendor. Since eachvendor's equipment generally used proprietary network managementhardware and software, many companies now find themselves with a diverseassortment of incompatible networks and network management resources.Although standardization of network management protocols in the priorart, such as SNMP, help in managing multi-vendor network configurations,the user interfaces still vary quite widely in the prior art whendealing with multi-vendor network situations. No one prior art userinterface or network manager can serve across most multi-vendorconfigurations.

To address this problem implementors have developed the concept of"manager of network managers" or "manager of managers" ("MOM") wherebyone system would provide a common interface for multiple managednetworks. Unfortunately there is no standard for the MOM, and no MOM haspreviously been provided that would provide network management by a Webbrowser, remotely through the Web, from a Web client.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has several objects. It is an object of thepresent invention to provide network management of a network or multiplenetworks, using a Web client, and including multimedia and hypermediacapability. It is an object of the present invention to process requestsfrom Web clients forwarded by Web servers to the present invention, andto interact with other communication systems and networks, and theirassociated managed objects, to obtain information from the managedsystems and communicate that information back to the Web client inresponse to the request. It is an object of the present invention toprovide a "manager of managers" capability for networks, acting remotelythrough the Web. It is an object of the present invention to provide acommon Web GUI for network management, whether remote through the Web,or local.

The present invention for the first time permits a Web client,communicating through a Web server, to perform network management. Ifmore than one network is managed through the Web, then a manager ofmanagers function is provided. If the Web is used to manage one or morenetworks, then the management is done remotely. If the management is notdone through the Web but is provided locally, then the same common Webinterface is provided to the user, as when remote management is providedthrough the Web. This for the first time provides such a common Webinterface for network management.

The present invention receives requests from a Web client forwarded by aWeb server and interacts with the managed networks and their associatedobjects to obtain information. The present invention then converts thisinformation in real time to hypermedia document format in HTTP and HTML,and transmits this information to the Web client via the Web server,appearing to the client as if the information received were a Web fileab initio. This permits a Web user to manage multiple networks andaccess multiple networks via a single Web client. The Web client doesnot need to inform the Web server of the name of each gateway programnecessary.

The present invention for the first time provides a unified, remote,graphical, transparent interface for Web users, using a Web client, to avariety of managed networks. The present invention provides a standardinterface for network management and communications. The presentinvention is platform-independent, using readily available clientsoftware. The present invention uses standard protocols and provideshypermedia support.

The present invention for the first time provides a network managementsystem operating through the Web, or with a Web user interface, with acentralized point of control over an entire multi-vendor network ornetworks. In the present invention, communication flows between thecentral network management system and the systems that manage individualnetwork devices and objects, so that a local and central managementsystem provides a common user interface and common means for monitoringand controlling devices on a network.

By providing a network management gateway function to the Web, thepresent invention makes any commercially available Web client into apowerful remote network management station providing world-wide accessvia the Internet. The present invention solves the problem of providinga standard network management interface that is independent of thesystem being managed, and provides a solution of the "manager ofmanagers" problem so that a user can manage multiple remote networks viaa single Web client.

With the present invention, the Web client presents the user interfaceto the Web user and allows for simultaneous access into differentmanaged networks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be better understood with reference to thedetailed description of the preferred embodiment, in conjunction withthe following figures. In the figures, like numerals denote identicalelements.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the architecture of the traditional Webclient/server operation.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the network architecture of the traditionalWeb client/server operation using a gateway application.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the network architecture of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the network management gateway systemconcept of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the network management gateway method ofthe current invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention can be embodied as a software application residenton a Web server, or a software application resident on a separateprogrammable device that communicates with a Web server through theInternet, or as a software application resident on a programmabledevice, or as software on a tangible computer-useable memory medium, orotherwise. Embodiments comprising software applications resident onprogrammable devices are preferred. As is the case with all softwareapplications, the present invention can be embodied as hardware withspecific circuits, although these circuit embodiments are not nowpreferred because of their cost, lack of flexibility, and expense ofmodification.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the architecture of the traditional Webclient/server operation. A Web client 1 supports a user interface 2,which is a graphical user interface (a "GUI"). A Web client 1 formulatesa request for information in HTTP and transmits it by the Internet (orby another network using Internet protocols) to a Web server 3. The Webserver 3 forwards the request on the Internet (not shown), or therequest is forwarded in the host computer if the request is to beserviced locally. The Web server 3 receives a response in HTTP, orformulates a response in HTTP, and forwards the response in HTTP to theWeb client 1. The Web client 1 then generates an HTML, graphics, sounds,or video display and presents the response through its user interface 2.

FIG. 2 shows the architecture of the traditional Web client/serveroperation using a gateway application. Any of the many and increasingnumber of Web clients 1, using a GUI 2, formulates a request forinformation in HTTP and transmits it by the Internet (or by anothernetwork using Internet protocols) to any one of the many Web servers 3.The Web server 3 recognizes the request as one to be forwarded to theappropriate gateway 4, and forwards the request directly or indirectlyto the appropriate gateway 4. The gateway 4 routes the request to theappropriate Internet resource (not shown), first making any necessarychanges in the communication protocol used. Requests handled in thismanner may include, for example, Gopher requests, FTP requests, ordatabase queries. The Internet resource (not shown) then formulates aresponse and returns the response to the gateway 4 in the same protocol.The gateway 4 forwards the response in HTTP to the server 3, whichforwards it to the client 1. The client 1 then generates an HTML,graphics, sound, or video display on the user interface 2, or anotherform of presentation of the information to the user. The common gatewayinterface "CGI") specification is often used to define a standardinterface for gateway programs to interface with Web servers.

FIG. 3 shows the network architecture for the present invention 5 whenused for remote network manager of manager functions through the Web. Aconventional Web client 1, supporting a GUI 2, makes a request forinformation to a Web server 3 using HTTP, through the Internet (orthrough another network using Internet protocols). The Web server 3recognizes that the information to be retrieved pursuant to the requestmust be obtained by the present invention 5, the network managementgateway 5 ("NMG"), and the Web server 3 forwards the request to thepresent invention 5, communicating through the Internet or otherwise.The present invention 5 parses and translates the request, converts therequest into the appropriate network management service requests, andforwards each request to the appropriate managed network 6 using theappropriate communication protocol (for example, TCP/IP, frame relay,CDPD, or others) for each managed network 6, through the appropriateInternet (or other) network access 7. The processed requests aretransmitted through the appropriate network management system 9, to themanaged network elements 8, on the appropriate managed network 6.Examples of managed networks include SNNP-based networks, CMIP-basednetworks, SNA-based networks, Ethernet LANs consisting of routers, hubs,and workstations, ATM-based equipment, SONET-based equipment, andcellular telephony systems. Access to additional managed networks can beadded to the present invention as they are developed, or as interest inthem develops.

Information in response to each network management service request isreceived from the appropriate network management system 9 of eachmanaged network 6 by the present invention 5, through the appropriateInternet (or other) network access 7.

The present invention 5 converts dynamically in real time each suchresponse into HTML document files (that is, HTML files that are built"on the fly") and transmits them to the requesting Web server 3. The Webserver 3 then returns the HTML files to the requesting Web client 1,where the information is then displayed on the user interface 2, orotherwise presented to the user. The presentation may include text,graphics, sound, and video.

FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of the present invention 5 when usedin the Internet (or other network) as a remote manager of managers.Network management services are provided by the NMG 5 by softwaremodules 11 for, for example, network configuration management, faultmanagement, performance management, accounting management, and securitymanagement. These software modules may include such functions asproviding a help desk, customer service and support, softwaredistribution, product information distribution, trouble ticket andreporting, and other functions.

Incoming HTTP requests from the Web server 3 are processed by the Webserver CGI 13 resident in the NMG 5, and transmitted to the parser 18 inthe parser/formatter 12. The parser 18 parses and translates the Webclient requests into network management requests ("NMRs") which arecommunicated to the network management service modules 11 forprocessing. The modules 11 may transmit the NMRs to the ManagementInformation Base ("MIB") 14, or the network management proxy agents 15,as appropriate. The MIB 14 is a database of managed networks 6, andmanaged objects 8. The MIB 14 is maintained locally within the NMG 5,and communicates with the network management proxy agents 15. The MIB 14contains a database of information regarding the managed networks 6 andinformation regarding the network management gateway 5.

The network management proxy agents 15 contain a network proxy 19 foreach managed network 6. The agents 19 include network specific protocolsand managers such as, for example: SNMP, CMIP, and proprietaryprotocols, or others.

The proxy agents 19 communicate with the network access protocols 16.There is an appropriate network protocol 20 to access each managednetwork 6. The access mode may be WAN, LAN, dial-up, wireless, orothers. The protocols may be, for example: TCP/IP, SLIP, PPP, OSI, FrameRelay, proprietary, or others.

The appropriate data is then collected in response by the managednetwork 6 and objects 8, and then sent to the network access means 7.From there the responses are transferred to the present invention 5,which converts the network management information in real-time, on thefly, to HTML documents using the service modules 11. The presentinvention receives the information through the network access protocols16, and the proxy agents 15, and transmits it to the service modules 11,and/or the MIB 14. The service modules 11 process the information,converting the information in real-time on the fly into HTML documents,which are then formatted for output by the output formatter 17 in theparser/formatter 12. The documents are then processed by the CGI 13 andpassed to a Web server 3, and then to the client 1 through the Internet,or otherwise.

In the preferred embodiment, the NMG is a software application runningon a hardware platform, and the various elements in FIG. 4 are componentsoftware elements running on the hardware platform.

FIG. 5 shows the network management gateway system concept of thepresent invention. Web clients 1 communicate through the Internet to Webservers 3. The servers 3 communicate to the present invention 5, throughthe Internet, or otherwise. The present invention 5 parses andtranslates the client 1 requests into a number of NMRs, converts eachNMR to the appropriate protocol, and transmits each NMR through theInternet or otherwise to the appropriate managed network 6. The managednetwork 6 develops a response, and transmits the response back to thepresent invention 5, the NMG, arriving as a real-time HTML document atthe client 1, as described in more detail above regarding FIG. 3 andFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the network management gateway method ofthe current invention. The first step of the method is to receive 21 aWeb client request from a Web client, through a Web server. Then, theWeb client request is parsed and translated 22 with a programmabledevice, or a circuit device, into at least one network managementrequest ("NMR"). The NMR is analyzed 23 as to whether processing the NMRrequires interaction with one or more managed networks. If not, the NMRis processed locally 24; and if so, the NMR is forwarded to anappropriate network management proxy agent 25. After the forwarding step25, the network management proxy agent determines whether theinformation is in the local database 26. If yes, the information isobtained 24 therefrom; and if not the NMR is transmitted 27 to a managednetwork 6 by access protocols. Then network management informationtransmissions are received 28 in response to each NMR from a managednetwork (and may be stored in the local database for future retrieval).Then each such transmission is converted 29 in real-time into at leastone HTML document. Then the HTML documents are transmitted 30 to the Webclient through a Web server. When data is obtained 24 locally from adatabase, it is likewise then converted 29 into HTML and forwarded 30.

The information from the networks may result in information presented tothe user as one document or as multiple documents. Any documenttransmitted may have hyperlinks to any other documents created, whichthe user may or may not choose to call up.

The Web client request may be received 21 by receiving a communicationthrough the Internet.

Transmitting each NMR 23 may be done by converting each NMR into theappropriate network protocol and accessing each appropriate network.

Transmitting 26 the HTML document may be done by converting the HTMLdocument into the appropriate Internet protocol, and transmitting theHTML document to the appropriate Web server.

The Web client requests dealt with by this method may include requestsrelated to configuration management, fault management, performancemanagement, accounting management, security management, or otherfunctions.

A partial list of commercial and freeware Web clients that are readilyavailable for use with the present invention include: Netscape, byNetscape Communications Corporation (which supports Macintosh, Windows,and X-Windows for the Web client browser platform); NCSA Mosaic, by theNational Center for Supercomputing Activities (which supports Macintosh,Windows, and X-Windows for the Web client browser platform); EnhancedMosaic, by Spyglass, Inc. (which supports Macintosh, Windows, andX-Windows for the Web client browser platform); and Web Explorer, by IBMCorporation (which supports OS/2 Warp for the Web client browserplatform). These browsers exist on most common platforms and arerelatively inexpensive (retailing for less than $50) or free. Also, notethat many Web servers (for example, NetScape, NCSA Mosaic, and ProcessSoftware) exist that can readily be used with the present invention.

The present invention uses the appropriate networking protocols andnetwork management protocols to communicate with each managed network.Examples of such networking protocols include standards such as TCP/IP,OSI X.25, SNA, and Frame Relay, as well as various proprietaryprotocols. Examples of such network management protocols includestandards such as SNMP, CMIP, and TL1, as well as various proprietarynetwork management protocols.

No changes are required to the Web client 1 software or the Web server 3software to use the present invention. As new networks 6, networkprotocols 7 and network applications are developed and targeted foraccess through the Web, they need only be accessed by the presentinvention 5, with appropriate modifications to the present invention 5,in order to provide access to a Web server 3, or Web user 1. This can bedone without any change to the server 3 or user 1 accessing the presentinvention 5.

The present invention provides a manager of manager function (sometimescalled "M.O.M."). That is, the present invention provides the ability tomanage multiple networks and multiple applications from a singleplatform, which is a Web client. To do this, the Web client can use asingle graphic user interface ("GUI").

Multiple embodiments of the current invention can be accessed from asingle Web client using hypertext link capabilities with the HTTP/HTMLprotocols.

The present invention facilitates traditional network management serviceapplications such as configuration management (which includes trackingand changing network configuration from remote locations), faultmanagement (which includes the ability to isolate, diagnose, resolve andlog network problems on a real-time basis to maximize networkavailability), performance management (which includes the optimizationof network performance through network performance data collection andanalysis), accounting management (which includes the collection ofstatistical information on network use by subscribers), and securitymanagement (which includes the control of network access and use). Thus,the present invention can provide functions such as a help desk,customer service and support, software distribution, trouble ticket andreporting, and other functions. The present invention provides theability to give different customer/users different views of the managedinformation, that is, suppress information, provide additionalinformation, support different commands, and other functions.

The present invention will lead to and includes a new paradigm forcomputer users. That is, as a result of the use of the presentinvention, computers will come to use a Web GUI even when the computeris not connected to the Web. The Web interface will be used by thecomputer to interface with the user for all purposes, and not just forWeb interactions, and not just for network manager-of-managers functionson the Web.

Note that information in the MIB can also be placed on CD-ROM as anarchive of the information. The user can then use the same userinterface of the present invention to browse the CD-ROM, as if accessingthe managed network. The present invention could use the information onthe CD-ROM as part of the local database 14 (for retrieval purposes), asdiscussed regarding FIG. 6, to process an NMR locally 24.

The embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of theprinciples of this invention. Other arrangements and advantages may bedevised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention should be deemednot to be limited to the above detailed description, but only by thescope of the claims which follow and their equivalents.

For example, for purposes of the present invention, all programmabledevices are equivalent, including without limitation computers, ASICs,microprocessors, computer chips, and special purpose devices withprogrammable components. Furthermore, any programmable device with aspecific software application is equivalent to a non-programmablecircuit that does the same thing that is done by the programmable devicewith the software.

Furthermore, a programmed device programmed to do a certain process isequivalent to that process done by that programmed device, and both areequivalent to the software on a tangible computer-useable medium. Thatis, all software inventions can be claimed in any or all of threeequivalent ways: as a device programmed to do a process, and as theprocess done by the programmed device, and as the software programresident on a tangible computer-useable medium.

The mention of the Internet herein is equivalent to the use of anynetwork using Internet protocols, and to any communications network.Likewise, the Web servers and Web clients herein are equivalent to anyservers and clients using Web protocols. Also, the Web is equivalenthere to any network using Web protocols, or any hypermedia network.

One example of an embodiment of the present invention would allow forremote reconfiguration of, say, a phone network through the Web. Acompany may have several offices, each with a phone system controlledthrough an on-site computer. The system may be configured to offerdifferent features (such as long distance capability) to differentphones, and to maintain call accounting data for each phone. If thephone network control computer in each office were accessed to the Web,then with an embodiment of the present invention, a single remote user(from a single Web client, using a single Web GUI) could control,manage, reconfigure, and account for all the company's phone systems.This may be done through a single GUI, even where each office usesseparate incompatible systems manufactured variously, for example, byRolm, Siemens, AT&T, GTE, and others. Likewise, the embodiment could bemodified to add new systems by new manufacturers, say, NT&T, at a laterdate. Likewise, this embodiment could be used by a single party, say anequipment manufacturer or service provider, to manage a variety of phonesystems for unrelated companies. Also, the embodiment could be modifiedto manage other office equipment in addition to the phones, for example,copiers, vending machines, and security systems. Of course, this is onlyone possible embodiment, and does not limit the claims.

We claim:
 1. A network management gateway device comprising:a. means forreceiving a Web client request from a Web client, through a Web server,through the Internet, using a Web server CGI, the request comprising arequest selected from the group comprising: configuration management,fault management, performance management, accounting management,security management, help desk, customer service and support, softwaredistribution, product information distribution, and trouble ticket andreporting; b. means for parsing and translating with a programmed deviceor a circuit device, a Web client request into at least one networkmanagement request (NMR), electronically communicating with the meansfor receiving a Web client request; c. means for processing the NMRlocally to obtain information directly from a local managed informationdatabase, if the NMR is not related to a managed network, which is oneof a plurality of incompatible managed networks; d. means for forwardingthe NMR to the appropriate network management proxy agent, if the NMRrelates to the managed network; e. means for processing the NMR locallyto obtain information directly from the local managed informationdatabase, if the information is available from the database; f. meansfor forwarding the NMR to the managed network via access protocols, ifthe information is not available from the database; g. means forreceiving network management information transmissions in response toNMR's; h. storing network management information received in the localmanaged information database; i. means for converting network managementinformation transmissions, in real-time, into HTML documents,electronically communicating with the means for parsing and the meansfor transmitting each NMR and the means for receiving network managementinformation; and j. means for transmitting HTML documents to the Webclient, through the Web server, through the Internet, further comprisingmeans for formatting for output.
 2. A network management gateway devicecomprising:a. means for receiving a Web client request from a Webclient, through a Web server; b. means for parsing and translating witha programmed device or a circuit device, a Web client request into atleast one network management request (NMR), electronically communicatingwith the means for receiving a Web client request; c. means forprocessing the NMR locally to obtain information directly from a localmanaged information database, if the NMR is not related to a managednetwork; d. means for forwarding the NMR to the appropriate networkmanagement proxy agent, if the NMR relates to the managed network; e.means for processing the NMR locally to obtain information directly fromthe local managed information database, if the information is availablefrom the database; f. means for forwarding the NMR to the managednetwork via access protocols, if the information is not available fromthe database; g. means for receiving network management informationtransmissions in response to NMR; h. storing network managementinformation received in the local managed information database; i. meansfor converting network management information transmissions, inreal-time, into HTML documents, electronically communicating with themeans for parsing and translating and the means for transmitting eachNMR and the means for receiving network management information; and j.means for forwarding HTML documents to the Web client, through a Webserver.
 3. The device in claim 2, the means for receiving a Web clientrequest comprising:a. means for receiving a communication from a Webserver through the Internet, using a Web server CGI.
 4. The device inclaim 2, where:a. the local managed information database is resident onthe same hardware platform as the Web server and uses a hard disk, aCD-ROM, or other memory device, and b. the managed network is one of aplurality of incompatible managed networks.
 5. The device in claim 2,the means for forwarding HTML documents further comprising:a. means forformatting for output.
 6. The device in claim 2, where the Web clientrequest comprises:a request selected from the group comprising:configuration management, fault management, performance management,accounting management, security management, help desk, customer serviceand support, software distribution, product information distribution,and trouble ticket and reporting.
 7. A network management gateway methodcomprising:a. receiving a Web client request from a Web client, througha Web server, through the Internet, using a Web server CGI, the requestcomprising a request selected from the group comprising: configurationmanagement, fault management, performance management, accountingmanagement, security management, help desk, customer service andsupport, software distribution, product information distribution, andtrouble ticket and reporting; b. parsing and translating with aprogrammed device or a circuit device a Web client request into at leastone network management request (NMR); c. processing the NMR locally toobtain information directly from a local managed information database,if the NMR is not related to a managed network which is one of aplurality of incompatible managed networks, where the local managedinformation database is resident on the same hardware platform as theWeb server and uses a hard disk, a CD-ROM, or other memory device; d.forwarding the NMR to the appropriate network management proxy agent, ifthe NMR relates to the managed network; e. processing the NMR locally toobtain information directly from the local managed information database,if the information is available from the database; f. transmitting theNMR to the managed network via access protocols, if the information isnot available from the database; g. receiving network managementinformation transmissions in response to NMR's; h. storing networkmanagement information received in the local managed informationdatabase; i. converting network management information transmissions, inreal-time, into HTML documents; and j. forwarding HTML documents to theWeb client, through the Web server, through the Internet, furthercomprising formatting for output.
 8. A network management gateway methodcomprising:a. receiving a Web client request from a Web client, througha Web server; b. parsing and translating with a programmed device, or acircuit device, a Web client request into at least one networkmanagement request (NMR); c. processing the NMR locally to obtaininformation directly from a local managed information database, if theNMR is not related to a managed network; d. forwarding the NMR to theappropriate network management proxy agent, if the NMR relates to themanaged network; e. processing the NMR locally to obtain informationdirectly from the local managed information database, if the informationis available from the database; f. transmitting the NMR to the managednetwork via access protocols, if the information is not available fromthe database; g. receiving network management information transmissionsin response to NMR's, h. storing network management information receivedin the local managed information database; i. converting networkmanagement information transmissions, in real-time, into HTML documents;and j. forwarding the HTML documents to the Web client, through a Webserver.
 9. The method in claim 8, where receiving a web client requestcomprises:a. receiving a communication from a web server through theInternet, using a web server CGI.
 10. The method in claim 8, where:a.the local managed information database is resident on the same hardwareplatform as the Web server and uses a hard disk, a CD-ROM, or othermemory device, and b. the managed network is one of a plurality ofincompatible managed networks.
 11. The method in claim 8, whereforwarding the HTML documents further comprises:a. formatting foroutput.
 12. The method in claim 8, where the Web client requestcomprises:a. a request selected from the group comprising: configurationmanagement, fault management, performance management, accountingmanagement, security management, help desk, customer service andsupport, software distribution, product information distribution, andtrouble ticket and reporting.
 13. A machine readable memory medium,encoded with data representing a network management gateway computerprogram, that can be used to direct a computer when used by thecomputer, comprising:a. means for receiving a Web client request from aWeb client, through a Web server, through the Internet, using a Webserver CGI, the request comprising a request selected from the groupcomprising: configuration management, fault management, performancemanagement, accounting management, security management, help desk,customer service and support, software distribution, product informationdistribution, and trouble ticket and reporting; b. means for parsing andtranslating with a programmed device or a circuit device, a Web clientrequest into at least one network management request (NMR),electronically communicating with the means for receiving a Web clientrequest; c. means for processing the NMR locally to obtain informationdirectly from a local managed information database, if the NMR is notrelated to a managed network, which is one of a plurality ofincompatible managed networks; d. means for forwarding the NMR to theappropriate network management proxy agent, if the NMR relates to themanaged network; e. means for processing the NMR locally to obtaininformation directly from the local managed information database, if theinformation is available from the database; f. means for forwarding theNMR to the managed network via access protocols, if the information isnot available from the database; g. means for receiving networkmanagement information transmissions in response to NMR's; h. storingnetwork management information received in the local managed informationdatabase; i. means for converting network management informationtransmissions, in real-time, into HTML documents, electronicallycommunicating with the means for parsing and the means for transmittingeach NMR and the means for receiving network management information; andj. means for transmitting HTML documents to the Web client, through theWeb server, through the Internet, further comprising means forformatting for output.
 14. A machine readable memory medium, encodedwith data representing a network management gateway computer program,that can be used to direct a computer when used by the computer,comprising:a. means for receiving a Web client request from a Webclient, through a Web server; b. means for parsing and translating witha programmed device or a circuit device, a Web client request into atleast one network management request (NMR), electronically communicatingwith the means for receiving a Web client request; c. means forprocessing the NMR locally to obtain information directly from a localmanaged information database, if the NMR is not related to a managednetwork; d. means for forwarding the NMR to the appropriate networkmanagement proxy agent, if the NMR relates to the managed network; e.means for processing the NMR locally to obtain information directly fromthe local managed information database, if the information is availablefrom the database; f. means for forwarding the NMR to the managednetwork via access protocols, if the information is not available fromthe database; g. means for receiving network management informationtransmissions in response to NMR's; h. storing network managementinformation received in the local managed information database; i. meansfor converting network management information transmissions, inreal-time, into HTML documents, electronically communicating with themeans for parsing and translating and the means for transmitting eachNMR and the means for receiving network management information; and j.means for forwarding HTML documents to the Web client, through a Webserver.
 15. The article of manufacture in claim 14, the means forreceiving a Web client request comprising:a. means for receiving acommunication from a Web server through the Internet, using a Web serverCGI.
 16. The article of manufacture in claim 14, where:a. the localmanaged information database is resident on the same hardware platformas the Web server and uses a hard disk, a CD-ROM, or other memorydevice, and b. the managed network is one of a plurality of incompatiblemanaged networks.
 17. The article of manufacture in claim 14, the meansfor forwarding HTML documents further comprising:a. means for formattingfor output.
 18. The article of manufacture in claim 14, where the Webclient request comprises:a. a request selected frown the groupcomprising: configuration management, fault management, performancemanagement, accounting management, security management, help desk,customer service and support, software distribution, product informationdistribution, and trouble ticket and reporting.